Perhaps this was the adult world.
Ever since Harry had made things clear to everyone last time—saying that he needed Dumbledore's portrait's permission before satisfying their curiosity—
Everyone's reactions had been rather strange.
None of them seemed willing to let Dumbledore's portrait know about it.
After that, everyone seemed to have lost the urge to keep pressing him for answers, which Harry found rather amusing.
The former Order of the Phoenix members had somehow become like children afraid of being scolded by their teachers. Even their habit of eavesdropping had vanished, as though nothing had ever happened.
"I never thought this would be enough to kill everyone's curiosity and solve our problem so easily," Ron said with a sigh.
Honestly, Ron and Hermione had both been startled by Harry's decision earlier. But seeing the matter resolved so easily, they could not help admiring his choice from the bottom of their hearts.
No one liked living under someone else's watch.
When they had returned to Order of the Phoenix headquarters some time ago, they had found it was little different from a prison.
This was Order of the Phoenix headquarters, a very safe refuge—not Azkaban Prison. Yet they had to be on guard against their own people every day. It was hardly pleasant. The feeling that even whispering to one another might get them overheard was awful, and it had left all three of them constantly ill at ease.
Things were much better now. At least they no longer had to guard against the others.
"This must be what Albert meant by bullying the weak and fearing the strong!"
Harry took the Golden Snitch from his pocket and turned it over in his hand, a trace of self-mockery mixed into his helpless tone. "I didn't quite believe it before, but now..."